Mitchell Pearce
 | ||||||
| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Junior | |||||
| Born | 7 April 1989 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |||||
| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||
| Weight | 91 kg (14 st 5 lb) | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Halfback | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2007– | Sydney Roosters | 209 | 55 | 0 | 3 | 223 |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2008–12 | NSW City | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008–15 | New South Wales | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2011–16 | Prime Minister's XIII | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | NRL All Stars | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| As of 30 March 2016 | ||||||
| Source: [1] | ||||||
Mitchell Pearce (born 7 April 1989) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League. A New South Wales State of Origin representative half-back, he has played his entire career with the Roosters and was a member of their 2013 NRL Premiership-winning team. Pearce has also played for the City New South Wales team. His father, Wayne Pearce, is a former NSW State of Origin and Australian test player and is a commissioner of the Australian Rugby League Commission.
Pearce has been involved in several controversies. Following his actions at an Australia Day party in 2016, he was fined $125,000 and suspended for 8 matches.
Playing career
Pearce played rugby union while at Barker College, before transferring to Marist College North Shore for his senior years, where he played league alongside his friend Kieran Foran.[2][3]
Pearce made his National Rugby League debut for the Sydney Roosters on 24 March 2007 against the North Queensland Cowboys at Dairy Farmers Stadium.[4] After three First Grade appearances for the Roosters, Pearce's contract was extended by the club to the end of the 2010 season.[5]
In his debut season, he scored 2 tries and registered 13 try assists,[6] a back injury keeping him out of the latter part of the season.[7] In an early career highlight, Pearce ran 80 metres to score a last-minute try, snatching victory for the Sydney Roosters against the Penrith Panthers in a 24–20 win on 16 June 2007.[8]
2008
Pearce was named as half-back for the City Origin Team in the annual City vs Country Origin match.[9] In his senior representative debut, City drew 22-all with Country.[10]
On 2 July 2008, Pearce made his State Of Origin debut, replacing the injured Peter Wallace as halfback for the NSW Blues in the series decider. They were defeated 16-10. Pearce later said, "In hindsight I wish I never played that early when I was 19 to 22. I definitely wasn't ready. As a halfback in Origin at 19, it was way too early. I probably developed some bad doubts from that period in those first few games. It's a daunting thing."[11]
2010
Pearce was selected as NSW's halfback for games II and III of State of Origin, having missed out in 2009, but NSW won neither match.
2011
Pearce was again selected as NSW's halfback for games II and III of State of Origin. Pearce scored a try in the first match, NSW won the second.
2012
Pearce was again selected at halfback by New South Wales, this time for the whole State of Origin series. NSW won the second match.
2013
Pearce formed a new halves combination at the Roosters with former New Zealand Warriors five-eighth, James Maloney, and they were both subsequently selected for the State of Origin series. After winning the first game in Sydney, NSW lost the three match series to Queensland again. Pearce was one of the members of the Roosters' 2013 side which won both the minor premiership and the premiership itself, defeating the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 26–18 in the Grand Final.
2015
In 2015 Pearce became the youngest player in NRL history to play 200 matches.[12] He was appointed co-captain of the Roosters[12] and his side went on to win the Minor Premiership. Although he had been passed over for the 2014 State of Origin series, which New South Wales won, Pearce was again selected for the 2015 series, this time at Five Eighth, a position he doesn't usually play. NSW won the second match.
Point Scoring Summary – Roosters (NRL)
| Season | Appearance | Interchange | Tries | Goals | F/G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007(Roosters) | 13 | 3 | 2 | – | – | 8 |
| 2008(Roosters) | 25 | – | 7 | – | 1 | 29 |
| 2009(Roosters) | 24 | – | 8 | – | 1 | 33 |
| 2010(Roosters) | 22 | – | 9 | – | – | 36 |
| 2011(Roosters) | 21 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 13 |
| 2012(Roosters) | 22 | – | 10 | – | – | 40 |
| 2013(Roosters) | 26 | – | 5 | – | – | 20 |
| 2014(Roosters) | 26 | – | 9 | – | – | 36 |
| 2015(Roosters) | 21 | – | 1 | – | – | - |
| Overall | 200 | 3 | 54 | 0 | 3 | 215 |
Controversies
2014 King Cross nightclub
In May 2014 Pearce was fined $20,000 and suspended for one game by the Roosters following an incident in a Kings Cross nightclub. A video broadcast on the Nine Network appeared to show a woman in a yellow dress becoming agitated by Pearce's actions. She had made a complaint to the police, but did not proceed with further action. The police issued an infringement notice to Pearce for failing to leave the club when asked and banned him from the Kings Cross area for 48 hours.[13]
2016 Australia Day party
On 27 January 2016 a video was aired showing an intoxicated Pearce forcing an unwanted kiss on a woman and, when rejected, simulating sex with her dog, after having urinated on himself and her couch.[14][15] Within hours the Sydney Roosters released a short statement stating that they had advised the NRL’s Integrity Unit of the incident and would conduct an internal investigation. The NRL in turn asked the Roosters for a report into the incident.[15][16] Two days after the video was first aired, an emotional Pearce read a statement to the media apologising for his actions and acknowledging that he has a problem with alcohol. He left Australia shortly thereafter, for treatment in an "intensive rehabilitation facility for an extended period".[17][18]
Following his return to Australia at the end of February, Pearce said that he had given up alcohol.[19] Shortly afterwards, Pearce overcame the impasse in negotiations between the Roosters and the NRL over the severity of his punishment by phoning his club and saying that he "deserved to be sidelined for a lengthy period.”[20] He was given a fine of $125,000, with $50,000 being suspended for two years, and an eight match ban.[20]
References
- ↑ Mitchell Pearce rugbyleagueproject.org
- ↑ Glenn Jackson (5 October 2013). "Blood brothers geared up for the biggest fight of their lives". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ JESSICA HALLORAN (28 March 2010). "Pearce has touch of the legends". THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ Mitchell Pearce – profile NRL. Retrieved 11 March 2008
- ↑ Roosters extend Pearce's contract Fox Sports News. Retrieved 11 March 2008
- ↑ Mitchell Pearce statistics NRL Stats. Retrieved 8 May 2008
- ↑ Pearce out for six weeks Sydney Roosters. Retrieved 8 May 2008
- ↑ Rookies get Roosters home SportsAustralia.com. Retrieved 8 May 2008
- ↑ Pearce gets his chance in City-Country clash Live News. Retrieved 8 May 2008
- ↑ Honours shared in City Country clash ABC News. Retrieved 8 May 2008
- ↑ Michael Chammas (13 June 2015). "State of Origin: Mitchell Pearce opens up about his demons and his regret NSW first selected him at 19". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- 1 2 "Mitchell Pearce". Roosters official site. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "Mitchell Pearce in Kings Cross: Woman in yellow dress identifies herself". Sydney Morning Herald. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "NRL superstar Mitchell Pearce's future in doubt after video emerges of lewd act at Australia Day party". 9news. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- 1 2 "Mitchell Pearce dog video: Sydney Roosters captain filmed simulating lewd act, NRL future in doubt". ABC News. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "Club Statement". nothingbutleague.com. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "NRL investigates possible Roosters drug use". Channel Nine Wide World of Sports. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- ↑ "Mitchell Pearce entering intensive rehabilitation facility overseas after admitting to alcohol problem". ABC News. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- ↑ "Mitchell Pearce: Sydney Roosters star says he has given up alcohol after rehabilitation". ABC News. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- 1 2 "How Mitchell Pearce broke impasse between Roosters and NRL with one phone call". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.